Reem Alabali-Radovan: “Respect, regardless of status and background”
The minister for economic cooperation and development came to Germany as the child of refugees and has carved an impressive career for herself.
Nobody probably expected her to be chosen: Reem Alabali-Radovan is the new minister for economic cooperation and development in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet. A 35-year-old social democrat, she has little experience in this area to date. She’s in good company, however: many of her predecessors also had to familiarise themselves with development policy at first. In the previous German government, Alabali-Radovan, who only joined the Social Democrat Party of Germany (SPD) in 2021, was the minister of state for migration, refugees and integration and federal government commissioner for anti-racism.
Born in Moscow to Iraqi parents
Alabali-Radovan was born in Moscow in 1990, where her Iraqi parents were studying engineering. As Alabali-Radovan told German weekly newspaper “DIE ZEIT”, they returned for a short time to the Kurdistan Region but were unable to remain there because her father was an active member of the resistance to Saddam Hussein. The family fled to Germany in 1996, were granted asylum and lived in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. This experience influences her political activities, explains the political scientist, and reinforces her view that Germany should assume global responsibility.
Alabali-Radovan has been exposed to a wide range of cultural influences and speaks several languages - which should stand her in good stead in her new position. At the same time, she has experience of local and state politics in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and knows about the difficulties faced by a structurally weak region. This could help her perform her new duties in line with the development policy adage of “think global, act local”.
Development cooperation as part of security policy
Development cooperation needs to be rethought, Alabali-Radovan said in her first Bundestag speech as minister. She explained that it was part of an “integrated security policy” that included foreign and defence policy, and as such was in Germany’s interests. At the same time, the new minister stressed that it was a question of working with partners in the Global South to combat hunger and inequality and to shake up unjust power relationships.
Alabali-Radovan is married to a professional boxer and in her free time also enjoys boxing herself. “People in boxing rings show a great deal of respect and treat each other as equals, regardless of their background or status. I find this fascinating. And I would like to see more of this in politics.”
